


Too Much, Gone Too Fast

by purpleweekend



Series: Too Much. Gone too Fast [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Crazy self indulgent, Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 16:32:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7625878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purpleweekend/pseuds/purpleweekend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The entire length of Keith and Shiro’s relationship before Kerberos.  Alternative, how many sex scenes " can I fit in 19k words.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Much, Gone Too Fast

**Author's Note:**

> So basically my mentality here is“canon what canon fuck the canon” I think of the Garrison as like a military/college-esque situation so I’m head canoning everyone that starts there at like 18/19 and then graduating and moving on to full employment status at like 21-22ish with a teaching assistant program in between. Basically I am making up the garrison's rules and foundation as i go. Whoops. Kinda had this idea of making their relationship as fluffy and wonderful as possible so that the end can literally destroy me.

Keith knew that he wasn’t approachable. He didn’t start out life with a fuck-you attitude, but after years of being a social recluse and training his ass off to get into the Garrison, he found himself lacking in people skills. It didn’t matter in the end; he was here. He made it to the best space and flight facility in the world. If that meant he wasn’t a joy to be around at social parties so be it.

 

Though he had to admit, having those social skills would have made the orientation process a bit easier.  So while waiting to meet his junior teaching assistant in a room full of fresh-faced novices, he was at a loss on how to interact. He opted to stay near the back, waiting to see who would be his student mentor for the next two years. Eventually, a tall dark-haired man sauntered in, exactly on time. He looked perfectly pressed, handsome, poised, without a hair out of place, confidently moving to the front of the room.

 

“Welcome to Squad B.” he said, garnering the attention of everyone.  “I’m Takashi Shiro.”

 

“Our focus in this squad will be about three things. Testing your physical endurance, assisting in your academic endeavours, and teaching you how to work as a team before your career placement tests. We will begin this journey together and end this journey together.”

 

“Together, we are going to make your path throughout the Garrison as clear and enriching as possible. Engineer, pilot, computer specialist, or anything in between, I am here to help you succeed.” Shiro said putting his arms behind his back. “We will meet twice a week for the first two years of your stay here. Sessions will include anything from a study-hall to intense physical training drills. During these next years,  if you have questions about your academic curriculum, your training, or your path here. I’m who you come see first.” Keith couldn’t help but let out a snort at the little speech. Perfect words for the perfect poster-child.

 

Shiro stepped away from the front of the room, making his way through the different students, having them introduce themselves with a small summary of who they were. Just a typical ice-breaking exercise, the kind of thing that Keith hated with a passion. He was terrible at them, never knowing what was too little or too much to say about himself. He watched as Shiro made his way toward him, casually commenting or laughing at some of what the other trainees said. Keith looked down into his lap, dreading what was coming.  

 

“Name?” Shiro asked stopping in front of him.

 

“Keith. Keith Kogane.” He said looking up, keeping eye-contact with Shiro’s chest instead of his face. He was aware that Shiro was expecting more information, but he was drawing a blank on what to say.

 

“Why are you here Keith?” Shiro prompted after an awkward stretch of silence.

 

“Fighter-pilot.” Keith realized that was far from a well articulated answer, but was losing hope of saving this interaction.

 

“Is that all?” Shiro pressed, crossing his arms.

 

“Yes.” Keith muttered, looking back down into his lap.

 

Shiro could feel his eye twitch in annoyance as he moved on to the next cadet. Although Shiro’s training as a an ameteur teacher consisted of a simple three-week course and a fifteen minute test, he wanted to take this seriously. They had trained him to notice the loners and specified the value of teaching them how to be “cooperative.” Keith was obviously going to be one of those cases.  

 

********************************************

 

On paper, volunteering to be a squad leader seemed like a fantastic idea. Private room and bathroom and priority status for post-graduation Garrison positions seemed like a fair trade for mentoring newbies twice a week. Their success at the Garrison reflected his success as a mentor and he would be damned if he was going to let one of them fail in any aspect. Unfortunately, Keith was completely failing in the social aspect. He did everything necessary during their meetings, but barely said two words to anyone without being directly addressed. Even then he remained incredibly curt, avoiding interacting with anyone.

 

The others were faring pretty well, fitting right into the environment. He would see them occasionally throughout the week, asking for help in training, their studies, or just to talk. Unlike them, he didn’t see much of Keith outside of their weekly sessions, besides watching him eat alone, staring at a textbook or into space. If he was lucky, he could catch the tail end of him while heading for the training room, but that was the extent of it.

 

Shiro felt bad for the guy, bad enough to go out of his way to try to talk to him. His sympathy quickly went to annoyance whenever Keith blatantly ignored his presence. When waved at him in passing he would purposely looked away or if Shiro gave him compliments or criticism during their sessions he would barely nod in acknowledgement. Shiro knew that he wasn’t being specifically rude, but the anti-social attitude wasn’t going to cut it if he wanted a future in the Garrison. He was going to get Keith where he needed to be to succeed, even if it drove him crazy.

 

***********************************

 

Three weeks later, Shiro had made no progress with Keith. If anything he was seeing less of him throughout the day.  He wasn’t trying to be annoying, he was just trying to make Keith understand the value of companionship. If that involved tracking him down throughout the Garrison, so be it, but Shiro wasn’t going to let him be alone forever.

 

He finally caught Keith in the training room, rapidly striking a punching bag. He was fast, impressively so, enough to make Shiro stop and watch him before making his presence known. Sadly, his quickness didn’t make up for his form. Shiro took careful note on how hard he was hitting, focusing too much on his power instead of his breathing. He was obviously self-taught, but the potential there was striking. Shiro hadn’t seen that kind of speed on anyone, ever.

 

Shiro stepped forward as Keith started to slow down from exhaustion. “You would last longer if you were more relaxed.” He said, coming up to stand by his side. Keith barely glanced up while continuing his rapid jabs, but Shiro could see the fatigue overwhelming his features.

 

“Sure you don’t want to try taking a breather?” Shiro suggested, watching his muscles shake from exaggeration. Keith finally stopped, looking away from the bag to give Shiro a sharp glare.

“Can I help you with something?” He panted, putting his arms down. Shiro frowned, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He was quickly learning that Keith was always on the defensive. If being friendly wasn’t going to work, maybe a bit of competition would.

 

“I was actually looking for a partner for sparring. Interested?” Shiro asked, gesturing to the training mat. He gave Keith a quick up and down. “If you’re not too exhausted that is.”

 

Shiro saw a flash of something go through Keith’s before it was gone. He shrugged, stepping past him to the mat. “I won’t be going easy on you because of your position.” He threw over his shoulder.

 

Shiro snorted, following him, “Good to know, but I doubt I’d be needing you too.” he said getting in position. “Show me what you got.”

 

For the first time in a month of knowing him Shiro saw Keith grin, right before he came at him.

 

Shiro could see where his cockiness stemmed from. Anyone without training would definitely be beaten by his fast movements. He was impressively agile, but too reckless. His stance was left open too many times for hits that failed to make connections. Shiro was easily able to get him off his balance with a few well-timed strikes to his chest, making his take down effortless. Before Keith knew what happened he was flat on his back with Shiro standing over him.

 

“You have a lot to learn Kogane.” Shiro said with a offering a hand up, “But not bad. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

 

“Home.” He muttered staring at his hand. Shiro almost rolled his eyes at his hesitation to touch him. Honestly, this kid was something else. He grabbed for his hand, pulling him up without a second thought. He mumbled a quick thanks before fleeing.  He didn’t look back.

 

Shiro sighed, carding a hand through his hair as he watched him go. He may have been too hard on him, but learning you’re not as good as you think was an important lesson, something Shiro wished he had known before he got his ass kicked by his own squad leader. Though he was pretty sure he had scared Keith from the training room for a while, judging by how fast he left, but he had had some association with him. He chalked the interaction up as a small victory. At least he got to glimpse the person under that rock hard mask.

 

************************************

The next night when he went for his own training he was confused to see Keith sitting on the sideline benches, casually reading. His head jerked at Shiro’s footsteps in the mostly abandoned training hall.

 

“Were you waiting for me?” Shiro asked in surprise, putting down his gym bag next to Keith’s bench..

 

“Yes actually.” Keith said getting up from his perch, “I was wondering if you were still looking for a partner?”

 

“Didn’t learn from last time?” Shiro joked, stepping toward the mat.

 

“I guess not.”

 

Shiro grinned motioning Keith to come at him, “Let’s go then.”

 

He was pleased to see Keith tighten up his form this time around, but he was still making too many mistakes, relying too heavily on his speed for someone who knew how to block. He tired out too quickly, allowing Shiro to slam him to the floor. Shiro got up from their position, grabbing his water bottle before coming back to stand over Keith. He stayed laying on the floor, looking at the ceiling with a red face.

 

“You’re still too open. You hit hard and fast, but your form needs a lot of work.” Shiro said sitting down next to him. Keith turned to look at him, resting on his elbows. He was pensive, obviously thinking about something too hard as he made his way up to a full sitting position.  

 

“Teach me.” He blurted after a beat of silence.

 

Shiro was startled by the sudden outburst, putting his water down to raise his eyebrows at him.

“I’m not an easy teacher when it comes to fighting.”

 

Keith snorted, gesturing at his position on the floor. “I’m well aware of that. Look, you don’t have to, but I obviously have a lot to learn.”

 

Shiro gave him a slow nod, thinking about the opportunity. It would definitely help establish a relationship with Keith, force him to get out of his shell. As long as he went just as hard as he did in regular training it wouldn’t eat away at his schedule.

“Ya, I’ll help you. What do you want to learn?”  

 

“How to beat you.” Keith said with a sly grin as he got up from the mat. “Same time tomorrow?” Keith asked, holding out his hand to help Shiro up. Shiro grasped his hand, dumbfounded by the flip in his personality as he watched him walk out of the room.

 

Shiro couldn’t help but think back to his first instinct of Keith, he was right. This kid was trouble.

 

************************

 

After leaving the training room for the fifth time that week, Shiro realized he still didn’t know anything about Keith outside from his insane determination to stop getting his ass kicked. His diligence was astounding though. After every match he asked for the specifics of what he did wrong, going as far as to have Shiro demonstrate better, if not painful, methods on him.

 

He was able to get Keith out of his titanium shell, little by little seeing specks of his personality through their nightly training sessions, but besides that he never even saw the guy outside of their weekly meetings. Shiro was reminded that his original goal of hanging around him was to get him to be more sociable, something that was far from being accomplished. He was going to have to find another way. When he saw Keith alone in the dining hall he saw it as a great opportunity to actually get to know him.

 

“Alone again?” Shiro asked helping himself to the seat across from him. Keith barely looked at Shiro as he sat down, softly grunting in affirmation while staring at something. Shiro followed his gaze, concluding he was just staring off into space when there was only an uneventful conversation between two cadets in his sight.

 

Shiro tried to make small talk, causal questions about his classes, comments on ongoing missions, but everything fell on to deaf ears. Keith’s response never went beyond a nod. Shiro let out a sigh, after another failed attempt at talking.  

 

That seemed to get Keith’s attention as he gave him a hard look. “You don’t have to babysit me you know.” Keith bit out.

 

“What if I just wanted to talk to you?” Shiro said, though it sounded suspiciously like a whine. He cleared his throat, straightening up to try to say something a bit less embarrassing. “If I’m really bothering you that much I can go.”

 

Keith’s face softened at the comment and he looked down with a frown, “You’re not bothering me. I was imagining their conversation.”

 

Shiro raised his eyebrows, looking back at the two from earlier. “Do you know them or something?”

 

Keith shook his head, following Shiro’s gaze. “I don’t, but I’ve seen that guy strike out with anyone he talks to. It’s kind of a hobby of mine to predict when it happens.”

 

Shiro was definitely surprised to hear that this is what the mysterious Keith Kogane thought about when he was brooding. “So when is it going to happen?” Shiro asked. He didn’t notice a change in their demeanor from five minutes ago, but judging by the way Keith was carefully examining them, something was going on.

 

Keith observed them for another moment before smiling “And she walks away in three, two, one.”

 

Shiro watched in wonder as Keith’s prediction came true, the girl making a hurried escape from the table as the man’s face became crestfallen.

 

“He does it at least once a week.” Keith said with a shrug. “It gets easy to predict. Everyone here has their quirks.”

“Everyone?” Shiro asked, “Who else do you have tabs on in this place?”

 

Keith looked around for a moment before tilting his head to two girls on the other side of the room. “Those too are doing something very inappropriate under the table.”

 

“No way.” Shiro glanced at them, feeling his face warm up from the very idea.

 

“I’m serious. Look at where their hands are.” Keith said pointing to their unfortunate position. Shiro coughed, looking away from the now obvious display. The night definitely had taken an unexpected turn as Keith continued to point out his different theories. It was actually pretty fun to watch, his face lighting up whenever he got Shiro to agree with him.

 

“What about him?” Shiro said gesturing to a guy near the entrance.

 

Keith gave him a long examination. “Secret pastry chef.” he said with a straight face.

 

Shiro couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Now you’re just guessing.” He said catching his breathe.

 

“Look at the flour on his pants!”

 

“That’s latex powder!”

 

By the end of the hour their food had gone cold and most of the other cadets had left, but that didn’t stop them from continuing the debate. Shiro had changed his opinion on him from being totally normal to an obsessed chemist, while Keith advanced his theory to him having an illegal baking racket among the second years. They were finally shooed out by the cleaning crew, still arguing as they parted ways to their rooms.

 

That night Shiro couldn’t help but feel like an idiot for ever believing that Keith was anything but a nice guy, just with a hint of extreme awkwardness and an obsession with fighting. It was definitely worth it to put the effort into knowing him, he was something else.

 

The next night Keith flagged Shiro over with an excited smile gesturing to what he determined to be a frosting stain on the guy’s shirt. Shiro plopped down next to him, already armed with an argument of it being a chemical mishap. From there on, Shiro always seemed to gravitate toward him and Keith always had a chair waiting.

 

*******************

 

Although academics weren’t Keith’s forte, he was aware that the classes he was assigned would be important in his career as a pilot. That knowledge didn’t mean he was magically good at introductory experimental physics. Keith stared at the textbook in front of him, knowing that he wasn’t retaining any of the information. This course was necessary, but judging by how he did on the last exam, studying on his own wasn’t improving the situation. That didn’t stop him from trying as he started bringing the materials with him everywhere. That’s how Shiro found him in the dining  hall, head bent over his book with a look of murder in his eyes

 

“Having trouble?” Shiro asked looking over at his open notebook.

 

“I’m a pilot, not a physicist.” Keith grunted, gnawing on his pencil. It just wasn't making sense, he had gone over this at least three times tonight, but he couldn't find the problem.

 

Shiro leaned closer to get a better look at what he was writing. “Those two things aren't mutually exclusive. You’re closer than you think anyway. Look here.” Shiro said pointing at the top equation, “The exponent for Boltzmann's constant is negative twenty-three, not twenty-four.” Keith groaned when he realized Shiro was right. He had been using that form for hours.

 

“No one said semiconductor physics was an easy topic.” Shiro said leaning back in his chair. “You should have come to me with this sooner. I’m literally here to help.”

 

Keith shrugged,“I know. I know, but during meetings you're already busy enough. Thought I’d give you a break from it.”

 

“I can help you outside of them then. Let me see what you’ve written.” Shiro slide the book in front of him as he plucked the pencil from Keith’s hand. He scribbled a few notes over his work, commenting on the steps that went wrong. Keith put his head in his hands to watch him work.

 

“So I get you as a personal trainer and a tutor now? I didn’t know private study sessions was a part of your job description.”

 

“For you it is.” Shiro said without looking up. He stopped writing after he realized what he said. The words had just left Shiro’s mouth before he could stop them. He could feel a blush start to creep on his neck as he glanced at him. Keith just smiled and looked back down at the notes, the light dusting of pink on his face made Shiro’s heartbeat a a bit faster.  

 

“You’re going to regret that when I’m in your room every night, crying about energy bands and electrical conduction.” Keith said, changing his work according to the notes Shiro had written. The page was actually starting to make sense.

 

“I highly doubt that.” Shiro said, smiling as he saw Keith’s eyes light up in understanding while he looked at the page. “In fact, I have time right now if you want to go over this more in depth. My room is always free.”

 

“That would actually be great.” Keith said closing his book. “Let’s go.”

 

*******************

 

Shiro’s room wasn’t what Keith had expected. He had imagined every aspect of Shiro’s life to be  prim and proper, but this, was a mess. He almost couldn't tell that it was a bigger space with the massive amounts of clutter covering the floor. Keith was oddly pleased as he watched Shiro scramble to clear off space on his desk. It was satisfying to see the golden boy have an actual flaw.

 

“Sorry for the mess.” Shiro said nervously putting a hand through his hair after he cleared off a chair. He had invited Keith back here so fast that he forgot about how sloppy his room had gotten. “People aren't usually in here, so it's gotten a bit out of control.”

 

Keith nodded sitting down while still looking around the room. “I just didn't think of you to be so chaotic.”

 

“Think of it as organized chaos. Now let’s see what you have.” Unsurprisingly, Shiro had a good background in semiconductor physics and was even able to help him with other classes. Apparently he knew the schematics of a TH-553 fighter like the back of his hand and explained the mechanics Keith was having trouble with. He was a good teacher and the session was giving  Keith a chance notice his little quirks, wondering how he hadn't seen them before. When he was confused he would start tapping on his thigh, giving it a triumphant clap when he figured the problem out. He bit his lips whenever he was fully concentrated in something, making them come back red and wet. Keith swallowed every time it happened, trying not to stare, but consistently failing.

 

They were close, their heads inches apart while talking over the text book. Keith knew he was staring again as Shiro licked his lips, muttering about how the example in the text was insufficient. He knew the length of his stare was going on for much too long, but he couldn't look away. He was just so...pretty.

 

Keith felt his stomach drop as he realized Shiro was suddenly staring back. They didn't say anything as they looked at each other. Keith bit his lip, nervous thinking about what Shiro would say about his strange behaviour.

 

Shiro didn’t say anything,  slowly glancing down to his mouth instead, gazing at them for a moment before looking back at him. They were so close, it would be easy to just lean in a few more inches. At the thought Keith quickly looked back down, hurriedly pointing at something in the textbook and Shiro followed suit, tilting his head away.

 

They finished their study session quickly and Keith almost fell over himself getting up to leave. “Thank you for this.” He managed to get out by the door.

 

“No problem. Anytime you need help, my door is open.” Shiro said with a gentle smile. Keith nodded, knowing he was going to take him up on that offer, waving at him as he went down the hall.

 

Shiro let out a deep sigh as he closed the door. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had the distinct feeling he was screwed.

 

***********

 

Shiro was spending a lot of time with Keith, maybe too much time, but he was his mentor. Just because he didn’t train every night with the other members didn’t mean there was anything more going on with Keith than being his student.

 

Just because they ate together all the time didn’t mean anything, except that Keith was good company. And the private study sessions in his room? Just helping a fellow cadet get through some hard courses.

 

Nothing more was happening. So what if Shiro was paying a little bit more attention to the brightness in Keith’s eyes when he smiled? If he found himself drawing out their sparring sessions longer than he needed to, savouring the way they danced around each other, it wasn’t anything more than a harmless attraction. It was natural when they were in such close proximity and Keith was just so striking. His speed was still mesmerizing, sometimes his movements were just pure grace, not to mention his face. The tiny imperfections made him even more intriguing, like the small spattering of freckles on his collarbone, or the almost invisible scar above his lip that crinkles when he laughed. God his laugh alone was enough to make Shiro’s day.

 

Shiro sighed as he made his way to the training hall, realizing how far this line of thought was going. He wouldn’t let the situation get out of control. In fact, he was going to tell Keith that their training sessions were getting cut to twice a week. He walked in, Keith already stretching on the mat, his eyes lighting up as he caught sight of Shiro.

 

Shiro grinned, walking toward him. Telling him about the cut could wait, at least until the end of the night. They didn’t waste time, moving into their workout after a quick warm-up.

 

He was especially nimble tonight, waltzing around Shiro with well-timed hits. He kept circling around him leaving Shiro struggling to keep up. Shiro could feel the mistake in his stance as he awkwardly turned toward him,  just as Keith went in. He had never gotten a grab in like that before. Shiro almost went down just from the surprise of it. He regrouped quickly, escaping the hold, going for Keith’s legs. Then Keith was pinned, same way as every night, but now he was looking up at Shiro with a smile.

 

“You’re getting better.” Shiro said letting him up.

 

“Thanks to you.” Keith said getting up with a stretch. He turned toward him and smirked. “Soon I’ll actually be taking you down.”

 

“Don’t get too cocky. You only got one in.” Shiro said, playfully ruffling his hair. Keith huffed and looked away, but Shiro swore he could still see that little self-satisfied smile in the corner of his eye. Maybe cutting their training now was a bad idea, he was getting better by the day, and Shiro would hate to hinder that for a pathetic little crush.

 

“Anyway, I’m starving. Let’s go get some food.” Shiro said making his way to the door. Keith grabbed at his arm, making him stop.

 

“Actually, I was wondering if you had some time?” Keith asked. Shiro watched him for a moment. He looked apprehensive, maybe even a little scared and he couldn’t help but notice that he still had a grip on his arm.

 

“What do you have in mind?”

 

“I want to show you something.” Keith said with a grin.  


**************************************

 

Shiro knew that it wasn’t a good idea to go off base without permission. He knew that the minimum punishment for getting caught was a three week probation and the maximum would be losing his leader status, but the thought of saying no after looking at Keith’s excited face was unimaginable. This was Keith. Cold, antisocial Keith who  used to not be able to get two words out to anyone, actually wanted to initiate something with him. Shiro would be damned before he disappointed him.

 

“This way.” Keith said jogging a little faster. They were already a good mile away from the base, running along a line of boulders.

 

“Here.” Keith said, stop suddenly. “Behind this.” He said climbing over one of the rocks. Shiro diligently followed, stopping when he saw what was hidden behind it.

 

“Where did you get this?” Shiro asked in awe as he climbed down toward the red hovercraft. “How are you hiding it?”

 

“Believe it or not, I won it in a race, a years ago now. It didn’t always look like this.” Keith said already climbing on. “It took years to make it run the way it does now. As for keeping it a secret, it helps when no one looks out here” He tossed Shiro a look over his shoulder, “And when you’re the only one who knows about it. You coming?”

 

Shiro nodded, gingerly climbing behind Keith. He was a pilot, and a great one at that, but this thing was completely out of his realm. Hell, he had never seen any hovercraft like it, whatever modifications Keith had been doing to the thing made it obviously fine tuned for his use only. Shiro cultched the back of the seat, trying to keep some distance away from leaning into Keith’s back.

 

“You’re going to fall off like that.” Keith said glancing where Shiro was grasping at his seat.  He turned around and grabbed Shiro’s hands wrapping them around his waist.

 

“Feel like you have more support now right?” Keith asked, already have way turned back around.

 

Shiro could feel his face catching on fire as his hands clutched Keith’s front. For someone who was so slight Shiro couldn’t help but be surprised at how muscular he felt. “Ya. It does, thanks.” Shiro agreed, staring at Keith’s shoulder blades.

 

“Ready?” Keith didn’t wait for an answer. “Because here we go.”

 

It had major lift, easily making it over the wall of rocks they had climbed. Shiro found himself grabbing on to Keith a bit tighter, afraid that he would fall off as Keith sped off into the distance.

 

“Where are we going?’ Shiro yelled over the wind.

 

“You’ll see!” Keith exclaimed over his shoulder while he griped the throttle for more speed.

 

He could practically feel Keith’s excitement radiating through his back. He looked graceful, effortlessly following the motion of the craft while Shiro was hanging on to him for dear life. Still, it felt great to be out there, flying through the sand and watching the world pass them by in a blur. Eventually Keith began slowing down, making a full stop in the middle of a flat plain. He hopped off, putting a hand out to stop Shiro when he went to do the same.

 

“What are we doing out here?” Shiro asked looking around the wide open space.

 

“You’re going to drive.” Keith said gesturing for Shiro to move up on the seat. Shiro stared at him before looking down at the console. He looked back at Keith with a frown. “I would have no idea what I’m doing.”

 

“I’m going to teach you first.” Keith said with a smirk “It’s a lot different than a five-ton fighter ship, but I think you’ll be able to make due.”

 

“But...why?” Shiro asked him confused.

 

“It’s for everything you’ve done.” Keith said looking away. “I just wanted to show you that it matters. I want to return the favor.”

 

“You don’t owe me anything Keith.”

 

“It’s not about owning you Shiro. You’re my friend. I want to share this with you.” Keith said looking back at him. Shiro felt like an idiot for the way his throat constricted at his words. Jesus, it was a lot to take in. He wanted to share the sentiment, but stopped himself fearing he might let something else slip out if he got to truthful.

 

“Touching.” He said instead, with a forced smile. Keith lightly punched him in the arm and Shiro couldn’t help but grin. “So, explain to me what I’m supposed to do here?” Shiro said gesturing to the craft’s controls. Keith nodded, taking time to go over every part and what it did.

 

“That’s about all there is to it.” Keith said hopping on the back of the seat. “Nothing to run into out here, so don’t be afraid to really go for it.” Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s waist, setting his chin on his shoulder so he could see what Shiro was doing.

 

“You know you are talking to someone who has actually flown a ship right?” Shiro huffed, ignoring the way his heart was pounding against his chest. He was nervous, but  the reason why was a toss-up between driving this thing or having Keith snugly pressed against his back, his breath ghosting in his ear.

 

“A ship and a hover-craft are two very different things.” Keith said, “Now let’s go.”

Shiro started it up, starting slow as they made their way across the sand. He felt awkward as he tutted along, lacking that carefree feeling he had had while Keith was in control.

 

“You’re too stiff, you need to move with it. Kinda of like a bike.” Keith said into his ear. He brought his hands away from Shiro’s waist, moving to rub lightly on his shoulder. “You need to relax. Don’t worry about fucking up, it’s just me.”

 

Shiro nodded, surprised at how the gentle touch was working to calm him down. He moved to the side slightly, noting how much the hovercraft followed him before going in for a smooth turn. Keith was right, it was like a bike in the sense that balance was on of the most important factors in the motion.  

 

“Don’t be afraid to go faster either.” Keith said putting his arms back around Shiro’s waist. “We have miles of open space around us.”

 

Shiro nodded before finally letting go of his nerves. Then he floored it. The thing was fast, faster than any land vehicle he’s ever been on before, felt faster than all of his minor missions to the lunar base and practice drills with the air whizzing across their face.

 

Somewhere in the back of his head he knew that some line was being crossed, something was happening that couldn’t be stopped, but with Keith’s arms around his waist and his smile pressed against his back, he couldn’t find it in him to care.

 

*************************

 

“I’m starting to think that I’m never going to beat you.” Keith said panting on the floor after a brutal knock-down from Shiro.

 

“Never say never.” Shiro said taking a sip of his water. He watched as Keith struggled to get up, feeling a bit bad for going so hard today. He set down his water making his way over to pat Keith on the back. “You’re getting better everyday, that's why things are getting more rough. It’s actually hard to beat you now.”

 

Keith snorted, “Gee, thanks. So motivating to know you weren't trying before.”

 

Shiro playfully hit him on the back. “You know that's not what I meant. You’re doing great, but maybe some inventive is in order.”

 

“What? Like a prize?”

 

“More like a surprise. Beat me and you’ll find out what I mean.” He said with a grin, mischievously ruffling his hair. It was soft between his fingers and Shiro kept his hand in it a moment longer than necessary.

 

Keith could feel his heart leap into his throat at the contact and the promise.

 

“You’re on.” He said instead, his smile more strained than he would like.

 

***************

 

Keith stared at the ceiling that night, sleep evading him. He was starting to realize that this little crush he had on Shiro wasn’t going to go away. He had known him for eight months now and had been coasting off of the idea that being around him would be easier with time. He wasn’t wrong, it just became too easy to be with him.

 

Keith knew he should have put a pin in this months ago, but he couldn’t stop now. He was addicted to being around him. His laugh, his voice, his smile. Even the way he continually kicked his ass on the training mats. Keith had never had anyone like Shiro in his life before. The thought of throwing it all away for something as stupid as this was ridiculous. He rolled over, willing himself to go to sleep.

 

One thing was for sure, whatever Shiro had in mind, Keith was going to try his damndest to find it out.

 

***********************

 

A week later, Keith finally won.

 

He remembered every step, every change that Shiro had told him. He kept his form tight, watched for holes in Shiro’s stance, and breathed. Keith saw the opening, almost gone as quick as it came. He went for the torso, hard, while using his foot to kick off the floor. Shiro fell flat on his back with the wind-knocked out of him and a grinning Keith sitting on his thighs.

 

“Got you.” Keith breathlessly said beaming over him.

 

Shiro’s breathe caught in his throat, knowing that it wasn’t because of the pain in his back. Keith was on top of him, a warm weight on his legs.

 

“So the student becomes the teacher.” Shiro felt like he was in a daze, staring up at Keith’s ecstatic face.

 

Keith gave him a thump on the forehead before rolling off his thighs with a grin. Shiro frowned at the loss, slowly getting up.

 

“So what do I get?” Keith asked excitedly. He was brimming with energy, almost hopping from foot to foot. Shiro couldn’t help but think about how adorable he looked biting his tongue before he actually said it out loud.

 

“You’ll find out next week.”

 

*******************

 

If Shiro was been completely honest, he had this outing planned weeks before he made the little deal with Keith. When he had heard about an upcoming meteor shower from his professor, he knew he wanted to see it with him. He wanted to do something to match the night rides Keith kept taking him on.

 

He had tried charting the highest point in the surrounding area to witness it, but stumbled upon a small house in one of the plains. Judging by the satellite pictures, it would be a great viewpoint, totally lacking obstructions to the sky. The bonus of having Keith win that same week made it look like even more of a fine-tuned plan, instead of the mess that made Shiro’s heart leap into his throat every time he thought about it.

 

Tonight was the night, and he would be damned if he would chicken out now after a month of planning. Even if this outing sounded suspiciously like a date even to his own ears. He wiped the sweat off his palms before knocking on Keith’s door.

 

“Come in.” He heard him yell from inside. He smiled as Shiro walked into the room, putting down the book he was reading.

 

“Have time to go on a ride tonight?” Shiro asked moving to sit on his bed, trying his damndest to be casual.

 

“Always do. What do you have in mind?” Keith curiously turned to him.

 

“Your surprise.”

 

******************

 

“I’m driving.” Shiro said as soon as they made it to the craft, hopping on.  He quickly put the coordinates in the navigation system, looking back at a dubious Keith.

 

“Don’t you trust me?”

 

“You know I do.” Keith said climbing behind him, “But if you wreck this thing I will murder you.”

 

Shiro snorted “If I crash blame it on your teaching skills. Now close your eyes.” Shiro started the craft up, smiling as Keith hugged him from behind. They made good time, would have gotten there faster if Shiro didn’t slow down when Keith nuzzled his head against his back. Sometimes you had to make the little moments last.

 

He pulled up next to the little house, telling Keith to wait while he searched for something to climb on the roof with. He looked up to the sky, slightly panicking when he realized it had already started. Thankfully, there was a ladder in the small adjoining shed. He set it up and jogged back to Keith.

 

“Can I open my eyes now?” Keith asked as he heard Shiro hurrying back.

 

“No, but take my hand, I don't want you to fall.”

 

“Watch your step.” Shiro said leading him up the ladder. “Careful, it’s the last one.”

 

“Ok. Stop here.” Shiro said steadying him. He smoothly sat them down, bringing his hand up gently to Keith’s face, tilting it toward the sky.

 

“Look up.” He whispered. His eyes slowly opened, widening at the scene. The shower had already hit its busiest point, bursts of light flying through the sky. Keith just stared at the sky, his mouth agape.

 

“What do you think?” Shiro nervously asked, ignoring the shower to watch Keith’s expressions.

 

Keith didn’t look away from the sky, but snaked his fingers in between Shiro’s, not caring what the repercussions would be. He just needed to touch him, to let him know how much this meant. He was relieved when Shiro didn’t move his hand away.

 

“Thank you.” he said in awe. Shiro turned his attention to the sky, giving Keith’s hand a squeeze.

 

They watched in silence. Shiro lost track of time, the lights above their head gradually slowing down. Hours later, the sky was back to black but they didn't move. Shiro couldn’t find it in him to get up. Then he felt a weight fall on his shoulder.

 

Shiro looked down, sucking in a breathe at the sight of Keith asleep, leaning against him. All of the feelings he had been trying to bury were about to flow out. He was beautiful.

 

He knew he was in trouble as he gently ran his fingers through Keith’s hair. He’d known for a long time, but sitting there with Keith completely relaxed against him, his mouth slightly hanging open, it was finally hitting Shiro how much he cared. How much he wanted him as more than a student or a friend. Something was going to have to be done, but for the moment it could all wait. He wrapped his arm around Keith’s sleeping form, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Right now there was nowhere else he would rather be.

 

***********************

 

Shiro tapped his foot in the waiting room of the advising office rethinking everything he was about to do.

 

“Takashi Shiro?” He jumped at the voice that called his name, quickly getting up to shake the hand of the Squad Assignment Coordinator. He was led into her office, continuing his relentless fidget as he sat down.

 

“What can I help you with today?”

 

He took a deep breathe, knowing that this was the right thing to do, “I’m requesting Keith out of my squad.”

 

**************

 

“Hey, you’re Keith right?”

 

“Ya?” Keith didn’t look up from the papers in front of him, annoyed at the interruption. He had specifically gone to the research center for peace and quiet, going as far as skipping dinner to get this done.

 

“I’m your new mentor.”

 

“What?” Keith finally looked up from the flight reports he had been studying. He vaguely recognized the face, some fourth year he had seen in passing around Shiro’s corridors.

 

“I’m your new mentor.”  He said again a little stronger.

 

“Your transfer got finalized a little sooner than expected and I wanted to meet you.” he said taking a seat next to Keith. “You can call me Leo. Welcome to Squad H.” Leo said holding his arm out for a handshake. Keith stared down at it dumbly before finally looking up.

 

“I’m a part of Squad B. I think you have the wrong guy.” Keith said turning away back to the reports.

 

Leo shook his head and grabbed a paper from his back pocket, placing it on top of the table. “Here is the official transfer order.” He said gesturing to the page. Keith picked it up and scanned it. He barely go through “Takashi Shiro transfer request" before abruptly getting up from his chair.

 

Keith could vaguely hear Leo calling his name, but he was already out of the room, half-jogging to find Shiro. Maybe it was some kind of a mistake, some kind of filing error. Shiro wouldn’t just get rid of him out of the blue with no explanation.

 

He found him in the dining hall, chatting with other members of their squadron.

 

“Did you have me transferred?” Keith blurt out when he was within hearing range of their table. Shiro glanced up from his plate with a frown before looking down again. “It wasn’t supposed to be finalised until next week.” He said, guilt obvious on his face.

 

“It wasn’t a mistake?” Keith growled. He knew that everyone in the proximity had stopped their conversations to look at him, but he didn’t care. He was beyond furious. He felt betrayed by the only person that he’s ever been this close too and stupid for ever believing that...that there had been something more. Why would he do this?

 

“I don’t think this is the time and place for this conversation Keith.” Shiro already felt like an asshole for his terrible timing. The audience wasn’t helping.

 

Keith slammed his hand against the table, garnering the attention of  at least ten more people.

 

“I want to know what I could have done to make you so unable to tolerate my presence.” Keith gritted out. “I think I deserve that now.”

 

Shiro pushed back from the table. “We can at least talk about it in private.” Shiro quickly pulled Keith out of the mess hall. His grip tightened the longer they walked down the empty halls, soon becoming the only reason Keith could keep up with his fast walk.

 

“Where are we going?” Keith bit out.

 

“My room.” Shiro muttered making a beeline for the upper-class dorms. “We can at least be alone there.” It didn’t take long to arrive with the pace Shiro had set and once they entered he immediately locked the door.

 

“You weren’t supposed to find out like this.” Shiro said, running a hand through his hair. “I swear I was going to tell you tomorrow. Actually have a rational conversation about it.” Shiro glanced to Keith leaning against the door his face a mask of hurt and obvious anger.

 

“But I think at this point it would be better to just show you.” Shiro said turning to rummage through his desk. He made quick work of finding the book and immediately tossed it too Keith.

 

“Code 536, Section B of the Garrison Behavioral Code.” Shiro instructed taking a seat on his bed as he watched Keith flip through the Garrison handbook. Keith read the pages with a frown,

 

While romantic relationships between students and personnel are tolerated, relationships

between those in an acting professional and educational setting are prohibited. Any signs

of such misconduct or inappropriate behavior are punishable by suspension or expulsion

of both the acting professional and student depending on the severity of the effect on

possible educational opportunities.

 

“What does this mean?” Keith asked looking up with a confused look.

 

“It means that whatever is going on between us puts our futures at the Garrison in jeopardy.” Shiro said “As long as I’m your teacher I’m putting everything we’ve both worked for at risk.”

 

“So what now?” Keith yelled holding up the book, “You’re just going to throw me away? Because of nothing happening between us?”

 

“Don’t pretend like this is just me.” Shiro said coldly, getting up from his perch on the bed. He slammed his hands against the side of the door, effectively caging Keith in his arms.

 

“All those nights? The one on one training? The house? You think that was all mentor and student? Just friends hanging out?” He could hear his voice shaking and was disappointed at himself for the hint of desperation, but he knew that all of this wasn’t just him. “I know you’re not stupid Keith, so don’t try to convince me you are. Don’t try to tell me you didn’t know what all of that meant.”

 

“I never said I wasn’t selfish.” Shiro said a bit softer, loosening the tension in his arms. “I want this. I want you, without hiding it, without pretending like it isn’t there.” He let his hands drop to his sides.

 

“This is probably one of the worst decisions of  your life.” Keith said looking anywhere but Shiro’s face.

 

“Tell me to back away and I will. Say the word Keith and I will drop this, get you back into my squad, and forget this happened. If this really is only me, tell me now.”

 

Keith swallowed and finally looked at Shiro’s face. He looked...fragile, like he actually expected Keith to say no. Keith sighed and roughly pulled Shiro’s face down to his level. “Remember that you started this.” He murmured before bringing their lips together.

 

It was bad, their teeth clanking together awkwardly. Keith was pretty sure Shiro licked his chin before he leaned back. It didn’t seem to matter though, judging by the ecstatic look on Shiro’s face before he leaned in again. It was better the second time around, a quick succession of gentle kisses and small pants.

 

“Think you can stay tonight?” Shiro breathed after fully pulling away. “Nothing has to happen, I just, fuck, I just want to be near you.”

 

He was making that breakable expression again and Keith had a feeling that face was going to be his downfall.

 

“Ya. Ok.” Keith said pushing himself away from the door as Shiro led him to the bed.

 

“Can we just...lay down?” Shiro asked, meekly gesturing toward the pillows. Keith swallowed and nodded before leaning down to take of his shoes. Keith would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous. This was all so new, even if it was just sharing a bed he had no frame of reference for this level of intimacy. Not to mention this was Shiro, the Shiro who felt the same way. By the time he got his shoes off  Shiro was already laying down, staring straight ahead. Keith slowly crawled up to face him.

 

“Can I touch you?” Shiro asked biting his lip. Keith loudly exhaled before scooting closer.

 

“I wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t.” Keith said with a small smile.

 

Shiro chuckled before gently wrapped his arms around Keith, guiding his head to be placed under his chin.

 

“Is this okay?” Shiro murmured against Keith’s hair. Keith gave a curt nod before burrowing himself deeper into Shiro’s chest. It was nice, nicer than anything Keith let himself imagine.

 

“How long have you...felt like this?” Keith asked after he felt his heart-rate calm down, his voice coming out muffled against Shiro’s shirt.

 

“Too long.” Shiro mumbled, “But I think I finally realized how far it had gotten that night with the meteor shower. What about you?”

 

Keith snorted. “Honestly? It probably started the first time you pinned me down in training.”

 

“I think I can live with that.” Shiro said with a laugh and hugged Keith a little closer. He started playing with the curls at the nape of his neck. Shiro was having whiplash by how fast this was happening. Just a few hours ago he was dreading talking to Keith about any of this, half-expecting a flat out rejection. But now, he was in his bed, happily pressed against his chest. It might have been a dream.

 

“Are you sure this is alright?” Shiro asked with a twinge of anxiety.

 

“It’s alright. It’s...it’s good actually. I like it.” Keith was already drowsy, his words slurring against Shiro’s heart.  

 

“Goodnight Keith.” Shiro said lightly kissing the top of his head. If this was a dream, he prayed he wouldn’t wake up.

  


******************

 

Not much of their relationship really changed after that. They still went on night rides together, trained, studied, talked about anything and everything. Shiro did find himself missing Keith’s quiet presence on squadron days, but found that their intimate evenings and mornings together made the missed time worth it. Ever since that night he would always ask Keith if he could just stay with him. Eventually it got to a point where he didn't need to ask anymore. The cuddling was an added bonus.

 

Of course Keith was a cuddler. At night he would always burrow himself into Shiro’s chest or back. In the morning he would wake up to Keith’s legs intertwined with his and Keith’s hands holding onto some part of his body. They just fit. He was still the same awkward, prickly Keith but now Shiro got to see even more of him with his guard down.

 

The kissing was also a great plus.

 

Tonight was no exception. After a tiring day of biodegradable fuel lectures, a lapful of a kiss-starved Keith Kogane suddenly made it all worth it.

 

By the third week of their relationship Keith seemed to completely forget his shyness. He had no problem initiating their little sessions, usually starting with his now signature smirk and crawling toward Shiro with a suspicious glint in his eye. Sometimes they would just exchange chaste pecks before going on with their own little activities. Other times they abandoned any of their responsibilities for the night in favor of sloppily licking into each others mouths.

 

Tonight was one of those glorious times. Keith was making those little wet sounds that Shiro was quickly learning to love. He was just so damned cute. He kept pulling away every few moments to lay a playful kiss on Shiro’s nose or cheek laughing whenever Shiro would chase back to his mouth.

 

Shiro knew that the tell-tale signs of his arousal were starting. He would move soon, right after a few more minutes. But, when Keith moved to full on straddle Shiro’s lap he knew it was too late.

 

It wasn’t a new occurrence at this point, but Shiro was usually able to maneuver Keith away from it and excuse himself to the bathroom before the end of the night. But now there was definitely no hiding it, not when his erection was snugly placed at the curve of Keith’s ass. Shiro held his breath, waiting for a reaction.

 

Keith stopped what he was doing and looked down, biting his lip. “Do you, uh, do you want to try going further?”

 

Of course he wanted too, especially now with Keith looking up at him with his kiss swollen lips and that nervous little grin. But Shiro also knew he had no idea what he was doing in that department.

 

“I want us to be ready.” Shiro said, though it was paining him to say no to this opportunity, “We should talk about how we want to do it.”

 

Keith moved his hands to card them through Shiro’s hair. “I think I would rather you be the one to take the reins, at least for the first time. You have a knack for these kind of delicate situations.”

 

Shiro gave him a slow nod. It definitely wasn’t a proposition we was going to say no to.

 

“Whenever you’re ready.” Keith said moving to kiss Shiro’s forehead. “Just know that I’m waiting.”

 

It was an obvious incentive to do his research on the subject. That night with Keith cuddled to his back, Shiro was already mapping out a plan of attack.

 

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

 

A week later after a long afternoon of flipping through anatomy books, partaking in enlightening conversations with his more experienced classmates, and an embarrassing trip to the med-bay for the necessary tools, Shiro could say without a doubt that he was prepared. After he got everything set up in the room he waited for Keith.

 

By the time Keith finally arrived he was a ball of excited energy.

 

“Hey.” Shiro said abruptly pushing away from his desk

 

“Hey.” Keith put his stuff down meeting Shiro halfway for a hug.

 

“Anything important going on tonight?” Shiro asked squeezing him a little tighter.

 

“Nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow. Why do you ask?” Keith looked up, already interested.

 

“I want you. Tonight.” Shiro murmured against his hair. “Are you ready?”

 

Keith blinked at him before grinning. He grasped his neck pulling him in for an opened mouthed kiss. Shiro melted against him, bringing his hands up to cup his face.  

 

“Can I take that as a yes?” Shiro chuckled pulling away.

 

“Don’t think I could make it more obvious if I tried.” Keith wasted no time pulling Shiro to the bed. He was anxious but also eager. He immediately reached for Shiro’s shirt, helping to tug it over his head. He had seen Shiro shirtless before, but it never stopped him from staring. He was just so...big.

 

“Nervous?” Shiro asked watching Keith’s hands stop moving.

 

“A little.” Keith admitted with a small smile. “It doesn’t help to be reminded how hot you are.”

 

“You’re not too bad yourself.” Shiro laughed moving to help Keith take of his shirt. He was pleased to see the way Shiro’s eyes darkened as they roved around his chest. He pulled him in for another kiss before moving down his neck, sucking occasionally on the sensitive skin. Keith moaned as Shiro made his way down, letting his hands roam along Shiro’s back.

 

He let out a surprised yelp as Shiro latched his mouth onto one of his nipples. He gently bit at it, looking up to make sure Keith was still all right. When he was met with pleased whimpers he moved on to the next, before trailing a hand down to Keith’s pants.

 

“Take these off?” Shiro breathed thumbing at the waist.

 

Keith tentatively reached down to unbutton his pants, watching Shiro’s eyes as he shimmied out of them.

 

“These too?” Shiro asked running a finger along the band of his boxers. Keith sucked in a breath as he peeled off his underwear. He felt exposed, but thoroughly wanted judging by the way Shiro licked his lips as he stared down at Keith’s hardness.

 

“You’re next.” Keith said quietly, gesturing to Shiro’s pants. Shiro took a moment to continue staring before hurriedly taking off his own clothes.  Keith knew he was going to be big, judging by his build, but to see Shiro’s cock outside of his imagination was an entirely different experience.

 

“Can I?” Keith asked with his hand hovering just above Shiro’s erection. Shiro nodded biting his lower lip as Keith gently took him in his hand.

 

It felt nice to hold, heavy and wet at the tip. Shiro hissed as Keith’s hand moved a bit faster. It felt amazing, to much and not enough at the same time. Shiro glanced at Keith’s face, groaning as he saw Keith’s pink tongue sticking out of his mouth in concentration. Shiro lightly tugged his hand away with a shy smile. “I don’t think we want this ending before it really begins.” he said giving his hand a small kiss. He turned away, grabbing the lube on the table.  

 

“It might be easier if you turn around.” Keith nodded, moving away from his perch on the edge of the bed to get on all fours. Shiro swallowed, intently watching as Keith turned around for him. Jesus, he looked good on his knees. Shiro kneeled behind him, tracing a hand along the curve of his ass. His skin was so soft, Shiro couldn't help but give it a squeeze. He slicked up his fingers, gently stroking his taint.

 

“I’m going to start with one at a time okay?” Shiro said, slowly circling the rim. He pressed in his first finger, rubbing at Keith’s lower back as he tensed up.

 

“Stay relaxed, it will help.” Shiro murmured, angling his finger, trying to find the spot his classmates had told him about. Keith gasped as he rubbed against his walls, bucking against his hand. He added another finger, aiming for that same spot.

“Good?” Shiro asked, gently working his fingers in and out.

 

“More than good.” Keith purred, letting out a small whimper as Shiro brushed against his prostate again.  Shiro grinned, easing his fingers out, prompting Keith to turn back over.

 

He reached over for the condom, hurriedly sliding it on and slowly pressing in. Keith let out a hiss, gritting his teeth.

 

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked, raising a hand to cup his cheek. “We can stop at anytime.” Keith shook his head leaning in to the caress.  

 

“Just go slow?”

 

Shiro nodded, gradually pushing in to the hilt with a groan. Keith felt amazing underneath him, so wet and tight inside. Shiro stopped moving giving him time to adjust to the feeling, leaning down to mouth at his neck.

 

“How does it feel?” he asked pulling away to look at his face.

 

“Wonderful.” Keith looked up at him with a dazed smile, shyly thrusting back onto Shiro’s cock. The small movement sent a shock of electricity through Shiro’s body, nearly doubling over from the sight and the feeling.

 

“Kogane, you’re going to be the death of me.” Shiro groaned, leaning down to kiss him. He thrust forward a bit, finding himself groaning again as he watched Keith’s red little mouth pop open to form a small gasp. He aimed for the same spot, delighting at the sound of Keith crying out at the contact.

 

Shiro knew he wasn’t going to last much longer, not with Keith writhing against him, making those soft little whimpers every time Shiro hit that little spot inside. But if he going he was taking Keith down with him. He blindly grasped Keith’s cock, thumbing at the head as his thrusts became more and more erratic. The rough touch sent Keith over the edge, moaning out as he spilled over Shiro’s hand. Shiro soon followed suit, shuddering as he came.

 

Shiro pulled out and collapsed to the side.  He turned to face Keith, grasping for his hand. “Was it okay?” He asked kissing his palm.

 

“Like you have to ask.” Keith laughed, interlocking their fingers.

 

Shiro beamed at him as he wrapped his arms around his waist. He just looked so relaxed, so damn happy, and Shiro couldn’t help feel a swell of pride knowing that he had just done it all.

 

****************

 

It was an accidental discovery. Shiro had been leaning against the foot of the bed,  trying to concentrate on studying between Keith’s dangling feet as he read a book. He had a massive interview with the graduate hiring committee in a week. If he didn’t nail this than his shot at a pilot position would evaporate. He let his head drop on the bed, trying to calm down. He had barely brushed his head against the bottom of Keith’s foot. Next thing he knew Keith was on the other side of the bed with a small squeak.

 

“Keith? Are you okay?” Shiro peered over the bed.

 

“ I’m fine.” Keith said shortly,  giving Shiro a wary look. “Just scared me.”  

 

Shiro’s curiosity was piqued at the obvious lie. “Are you ticklish?” Shiro asked getting up from his spot on the floor.

 

Keith didn’t even try to deny it. “Don’t even think about it Takashi.” Already backing his way up to the head of the bed.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Shiro said with a mischievous grin, already making his way up to him. Keith stared at him for a moment before trying to dart away. Unfortunately for him, Shiro was faster and effortlessly pulled him into his lap grabbing for his feet. Ticklish was an understatement for what Keith was, judging by the intense stream of giggles coming from his mouth.

 

Keith weakly tried to get away, just to be pulled right back into Shiro’s lap. It was so ridiculous. A year ago, if anyone had told Keith that he would be in the lap of Takashi Shiro, the poster child of strict and proper behavior, squealing his head of while he tickled his feet he probably would have punched them. But now all he could think about was how much he loved this, how much he loved him, how much he wanted this for as long as possible. Even if it meant he had to deal with random assaults to his toes.

 

“Shiro, oh god, please stop!” Keith got out between fits of laughter.

 

“I don’t think anything could make me stop now.” Shiro said doubling his efforts.

 

“I, oh my god, I love you.” Keith said kicking his feet away with a grin. Shiro finally stopped looking at him with his mouth open. Keith gently hit him in the head “You still there?”

 

Shiro snapped his mouth shut, nodding. “You know I love you too right?” Shiro said taking his hands away from his feet. He hugged Keith against him, hiding his face in his neck. He felt like an idiot for the way his eyes were suddenly wet. Keith hugged him back, grinning.

 

“I do now.”

 

****************

  
Shiro received the job offer three months before graduation. The Garrison wanted him on as an exploration pilot, mentioning putting him on one of the deep-space mission they had in development. They offered a full-time teaching position for first-year students after graduation, along with an apartment on base, for before and after missions. It was everything Shiro had been working so hard for for the past four years. He was beyond excited, signing off on the offer immediately. He couldn’t wait to tell Keith, quickly searching through the Garrison after his meeting though he would probably have to

have an awkward conversation with the housing manager, explaining why Keith was coming with him.

 

Shiro slowed down his fast pace realizing that he would actually have to ask Keith to move in with him. It wasn’t that crazy. They had been together for seven months now, longer if you counted all the time they danced around known each other. Shiro couldn’t even remember the last time Keith slept in his old room.

 

The thought of losing that feeling of waking up wrapped around a blurry-eyed Keith was enough to make up his mind. He was going to do it. He turned around, heading to the department of housing to make sure he could make it official before presenting the idea. By the time he finished, Keith was already back in their room, studying a blueprint for a new model of fighter ship.

 

“We need to talk.” Shiro blurted out the moment he closed the door. He inwardly cringed at himself for the awkward announcement, realizing that he was going to fail at making this conversation eloquent. “About the future.”

 

Keith turned away from the blueprint looking up at him with a raised eyebrow. Shiro plopped down on the bed, forcing himself to look Keith in the eye instead of staring at his feet.

 

“The Garrison wants me on as an exploration pilot. They offered me a teaching position for now until they decide where they want me.” He stopped when he saw Keith’s eyes light up at the news.

 

“That’s amazing.” Keith said getting up to sit next to him. He put a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, rubbing small circles. “So why do you look so miserable?”

 

Shiro swallowed before continuing. “They offered me an apartment, on base. I pulled some strings and they are willing to let you share it with me.”

 

“What?” Keith asked, stopping his rubbing to stare at him.

 

“I’m asking if you want to live with me, after I graduate. On paper you still have to be listed in the dormitories, but you would….be with me.” Shiro said, his heart dropping as he watched Keith’s expression turn anxious. Was he wrong? Did Keith not want this?

 

“Keith, I know this is a lot and you don’t have to answer right now.” Shiro nervously said, unable to keep looking at Keith’s reaction. “I just, I just love you so much and the thought of us sharing that together, is what I want more than anything.”

 

“Shiro, you need to think about this.”

 

Shiro looked back up at him, his fear turning to worry at Keith’s face. He was biting his lip, staring at the wall behind Shiro.

 

“Keith, if you don’t want this I’m not going to force you.” he said, gently tipping his face back to meet his eyes. “Don’t be afraid to say no.”

 

“It’s not that.” Keith murmured, leaning into Shiro’s hand.“You would be chaining yourself to...to me. I would always be there.”

 

“And that’s a bad thing?” Shiro asked. Keith tried to look away again, stopped by Shiro tilting his chin up to maintain the eye contact. “It’s not a bad thing, but if you wanted to...to end this, it would be a lot harder with having everything I own constantly around you.”

 

Shiro sighed with a mix of relief and annoyance, realizing where this conversation was actually going. “If you think I’m going to end this anytime soon, you are dead wrong.”

 

“If you don’t want this for an actual reason tell me now, but you gotta know that I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“I do want this! But-”

 

“But that’s all.” Shiro laughed wrapping an arm around Keith’s waist and pulling him in for a quick kiss. “I want to, you want to, the end.”

 

“But living with me? All the time?” Keith meekly looked up.

 

Shiro chuckled, pulling Keith back down to the bed. “Sweetie, we’ve basically lived with each other for a year. Do you even know who your roommate is at this point?” Keith made a face at the pet name, one that Shiro labeled as a pout. “I think his name starts with an H?” He murmured, burying his face into the crook of Shiro’s neck. “Do they know where they’re sending you?”

 

“That Kerberos mission has been thrown around, but nothing is set in stone. I won’t be going anywhere for months after graduation anyway, plenty of time for us to get settled.”

 

God, he felt like he was going to explode with excitement. This day was perfect. His dream job was dropped into his lap and Keith was going to keep living with him after he graduated. It was almost too perfect.

 

“You’re sure I’m not freaking you out right?” Shiro asked looking down at him. Keith smiled into Shiro’s neck, leaving a gentle kiss there before looking back up.“You already quelled my panic attack. I think I can stomach the idea of having an apartment with my the man I love.”

 

Shiro swore that Keith’s grin could melt stone. Shiro leaned in to kiss him, maneuvering them to lay down on the bed. “Are congratulations in order?” Keith asked with a laugh as he was manhandled. He didn’t wait for an answer, moving pull Shiro’s shirt over his head.

 

“I would think so.” Shiro murmured leaning to suck at Keith's collarbone.

 

Keith grinned, pushing Shiro away from his neck. He crawled down over the length of Shiro’s body, settling in between his legs and moving to take off his pants. Shiro leaned his head back, knowing at this point that watching Keith suck him off was a death sentence. He sucked in a breath as Keith gave feather light kisses along his length before gently sucking at the tip. Shiro shuddered as he took him deeper, wondering what he had down in a past life to deserve this boy. Keith finally pulled away, leaving with one last lick before crawling back up on the bed.

 

“Please take your clothes off.” Shiro begged going to unbutton Keith’s pants. He grinned kicking them off as Shiro went to peel off his shirt. Shiro hurriedly grabbed the lube from the bedside drawer, setting it into Keith’s hand.

 

“Tonight, I want you to fuck me.” Shiro said enjoying Keith’s surprised expression.“I want you to feel as good as you make me feel.”

 

Keith eagerly nodded, twisting the cap of the bottle. He leaned down kissing his way down Shiro’s legs, gently spreading them open. He slicked up his hand, lightly tracing around Shiro’s entrance. He oculdn’t even count the amount of times he had imagined doing this, but now with Shiro’s twitching hole in front of him he was at a loss on how to begin.

 

“One at a time.” Shiro said gently carding his hands through Keith’s hair. Keith looked up with a nervous smile, kissing the inside of Shiro’s thigh before slowly easing in his first finger. He looked up to see Shiro’s reaction, pleased to hear his content sigh as he slowly worked it in and out.  He added another, still looking for any discomfort on Shiro’s face.

 

“Good?” Keith asked going a little faster, trying to angle his fingers the same way Shiro did for him. Shiro gasped as Keith managed to brush against his prostate. Keith gave him a triumphant smile, adding another finger before massaging the spot.

 

“Fuck, Keith, right there.” Shiro whimpered biting into his hand to stifle his moans. Fuck, it was good, better than the times Shiro had fingered himself. Keith gave him no repressive, stroking inside him until Shiro couldn’t take it anymore.

 

“I think I’m ready.” Shiro bit out, pulling a bit on Keith’s hair. Keith moved up from his spot in between Shiro’s legs reaching for a condom with shaking hands. God, he was nervous. The thought of being inside him was intoxicating, but the fear of accidentally hurting Shiro was getting the better of him.

 

“You okay?” Shiro asked noticing his trembling hands.

 

“I just don’t want to hurt you.” Keith said fumbling to open the condom with the frown. Shiro plucked it from his fingers, tearing it open and pushing Keith onto his back. He slipped it on before straddling Keith's thighs with a grin.

 

“Then let me do the honors.” Shiro said letting out a groan as he sank down onto Keith’s cock, only stopping when he bottomed out. Keith’s breath was stolen away at the sight above him mixed with the feeling of Shiro sinfully clenching around him. “Any pain?” Keith ground out rubbing at Shiro’s thighs.

 

“None whatsoever.” Shiro moaned, beginning to bounce up and down. Keith thrust up to meet him halfway, causing Shiro to loudly curse when he hit in the perfect spot. Keith moved his hand to stroke Shiro’s leaking member, appreciating the blissful look that overcame his face. After a few more strokes Shiro was gone, loudly moaning Keith’s name as he spilled across their stomachs. The sight was enough to make Keith follow suit, shuddering as he thrusted up one more time.

 

“Not bad Kogane.” Shiro said leaning down to kiss him lightly on the mouth. He climbed off with a wince as Keith popped out of him, going to the bathroom to clean up. He came back quickly, curling under the covers just as Keith was turning out the light. Keith turned around wrapping his arms around Shiro’s back.

 

“Are we really doing this?” Keith asked against him. Shiro grabbed his hand, turning around to kiss it.

 

“We really are.”

 

*****************

 

It was an annual event, right before the fourth year’s graduation the Garrison always allowed the different squads to go out to the neighboring town, one last hoorah before they parted ways with their leader for good. It was something Shiro had been looking forward too, though it had been a disappointment finding out that Keith’s team was scheduled to go out a different day. Luckily, he still found himself enjoying the time out with his own group. They had been great teammates throughout the past two years, and he was really going to miss them as they found their own paths throughout the Garrison.

 

The group made their way throughout the small downtown district stopping to look around in all the different shops. Shiro almost would have missed it if it wasn’t for the girls dragging them all into a posh little boutique to look for graduation presents for the other senior girls.

 

While he had been glancing around he saw the ring in a small jewelry case. It was a simple band white gold band, thin enough to fit comfortably under a glove, with a small line of glittering garnets. Before he could stop himself he was already walking over for a better look and asking the store clerk to hold it. It looked like it would be the perfect size. He was already asking for the price. Next thing he knew it was delicately being put in a black velvet box and was handed off to him with a smile.

 

It was an impulsive buy, Shiro kept saying to himself on the way back to the Garrison. It didn’t mean anything. It would be crazy if it did, they were too young, it was too soon. But that didn’t stop him from looking at it ten more times on the way home, and stuffing it deep inside his pillow case that same night.

 

************

 

Keith hadn’t been looking forward to the “special” outing with his squad. It wasn’t that he didn’t like them, he just didn’t know how to talk with them. It didn’t help when he noticed one of guys giving him glares every five minutes. What was his name again? Klance? Either way it didn’t exactly make him feel welcome. He ended up wandering away from the group to look around by himself.

 

Eventually, Keith wound up in a clothing store trying to decipher the difference between two pairs of twenty and eighty dollar pants. Just before he was going to leave, he saw a flash of crimson in the corner of his eye. He turned around to see a bright red pair of lace boyshorts discarded on a stack of pants. Keith laughed to himself picking them up, they looked ridiculous. They were way to bright, borderline garish with a girly little bow sitting on the waist band. He laughed again imagining how Shiro would react if he saw them, or better yet if he saw them on Keith. God, it would be hilarious to see his face.

 

Keith could clearly imagine the shock that would envelop his face... then the excitement. Shiro always said how much he loved how red looked against his skin. Suddenly the idea of wearing was becoming less amusing and more enticing.

 

Before he could talk himself out of it he was at the register. He consistently looked down so the retail worker couldn't notice how his face matched the underwear.

 

By the time he found the group again his blush had subsided, but he still found himself clutching the fancy little box a little too hard on the way back.

 

Instead of heading toward Shiro's room, Keith made his way to his original dorm thanking the gods that his roommate wasn’t there. He quickly shoved the box underneath his old bed, failing to convince himself it would probably never be seen again.

 

It was an impulsive buy, a stupid buy, something that he would literally never use. But with Shiro pressed against his back that night, he knew it was a lie.

 

********************

 

Although Keith was used to gravitating toward the back in the majority of social situations, he found himself front and center for Shiro’s graduation. Fuck, he was so proud. Not only had Shiro graduated as the top pilot for exploration, but he was confirmed to head the Kerberos mission next year. As Keith watched Shiro glide across the stage to give his class speaker address he couldn’t help but feel intensely pleased knowing that brilliant, hard-working man was his, and his alone.

 

His speech, of course, was eloquent, kind, and overly modest. Keith.couldn’t help but roll his eyes as Shiro delved into a long tangent of how he owed all of his success to his instructors and squad members, completely overlooking how his own hard work was the core of his accomplishments.

 

“These past years been the best of my life. Through this place I have made life-long friends and found parts of myself I didn’t even know I was missing. From the bottom of my heart, thank all of you for making this experience possible.” He finished giving an unsubtle look in Keith’s direction. Keith was to ecstatic to be embarrassed, beaming up at him giving a small wave as he went back to sit down, the auditorium bursting into applause.

 

The rest of the ceremony went by in a blur. Soon enough the last speech was given, the last certificate handed out, and the hall exploded into a rush of people, running off to congratulate their loved ones.

 

Shiro hopped off the stage, making a beeline for Keith as the chaos started. Keith pulled him into a hug when he was close enough, fitting snugly into Shiro’s familiar chest.

 

“Congratulations.” he said looking up with a smile.

 

“How’d I do?” He asked giving Keith a quick kiss to his forehead.

 

“Like you have to ask.” Keith  hugged him a little tighter. They stayed like that for a moment casually chatting about the ceremony until Shiro felt a hand clasp his shoulder. He reluctantly let go of Keith turning around to greet one of his classmates. Keith recognized her from her own speech as the top engineer.

 

“Great job out there Shiro!” She said, grinning. You’re coming to the reception tonight right?”

 

“I actually think I’m going to skip it, Amelie.” Shiro said stealing a glance at Keith.

 

“Oh come on! You’re the man of the hour! You can’t miss this.” She exclaimed. “Plus all of the higher-ups have to make an appearance, it’s a perfect time to get in good with them.”

 

“I know, but I have plans to-” Shiro began

 

Keith interrupted him, putting his hand on Shiro’s arm. “You should go.”

 

“It’s your night. I’ll survive. Not to mention, one of us should probably finish packing.” Keith gave his arm a squeeze.

 

“But-”

 

“But you're only going to graduate once. I’ll still be in the room when you’re done.”

 

“At least your boyfriend knows what’s good for you!” Amelie grinned patting Shiro on the back. “Now hurry up with your pleasantries, we should go now if we want to land good seats.”

 

“I’ll see you later tonight.” Keith said leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. “Now go.”

 

****************

 

Keith left the auditorium with butterflies in his stomach, following the hall to his old room. He had been thinking about the stupid little box for days, paired with the idea that wearing them tonight would be Shiro’s graduation present.

 

He almost turned around twice, telling himself that no present was better than embarrassing himself with this. But then, the thought of what would happen if Shiro did like it, kept his feet moving.

 

When he finally made it to the room  he immediately grasped the box from under his bed, clutching it to his side on the way back. He went straight into their bathroom, quickly stripping down and pulling them on before he talked himself into throwing them away.

 

He stared at himself in the mirror with a frown. The color was intense against his skin, more so than he imagined. Thankfully, they did completely cover his crotch, but judging by the snugness he would be popping out of them the moment he got hard. He turned around, carefully examining the back. They barely covered his ass, completely exposing the bottom parts of his cheeks.  They didn’t as look bad as he was expecting, but they sure were from a different realm than anything they had tried before.

 

They would definitely surprise Shiro if nothing else. Keith took them off, sticking them in the top drawer before getting dressed. He could do this. All he had to do was wait.

 

****************

 

When Shiro came back Keith just finished packing their last box, turning around at the sound of the door opening.

 

“How did it go?” Keith asked standing up to give him a hug. Shiro grinned against his hair, moving down to kiss his forehead. “Fun, but I missed you.” he murmured moving to kiss his ear.

 

“And I’m here to collect a graduation present.” Shiro softly bit at his ear already shuffling them toward the bed.

 

“I actually have something in mind for that.” Keith said pulling away.“Wait here.”

 

Keith gave him one last lingering kiss before fleeing to the bathroom, ignoring the surprised look on Shiro’s face. He undressed quickly, reaching for the underwear in the top drawer. He haphazardly pulled them on, walking out before his courage evaded him.

 

Shiro’s eyes were on him immediately, his mouth slowly dropping open. Keith held his breath, waiting for his reaction. He knew his face was on fire and it made him feel like even more of an idiot.

 

“I can take them off. I just wanted to do something special-” Keith stopped himself as he watched Shiro swiftly get up from the bed, dropping to his knees in front of him.

 

“Don’t you dare take them off.” Shiro said, snaking his arms around Keith’s legs to bring him closer.

 

He could feel himself getting hard under Shiro’s scrutinizing gaze. Shiro brought one of his hands away from Keith’s legs to trace along the lace pattern.

 

“Where did you get these?” Shiro breathed looking up, his pupils blown.

 

“On the end of year trip. I wandered into this store and it just...happened.” Keith whispered curling a hand into Shiro’s hair. “Do you like them?”

 

Shiro gave out a small laugh while rubbing his hand over the front fabric giving Keith’s half-hard cock a small squeeze.

 

“Like is an understatement.” He said looking up with a mischievous smirk before pressing his face against his crotch.

 

“Wholy shit.” Keith whined as Shiro opened his mouth to suck at him through the lace. Shiro just sucked harder, leaving the front of his panties soaking wet. Keith bit his lip, trying to stifle his whines. If it wasn’t for the arms grasping his legs Keith was sure his knees would have given out.

 

“Fuck, Shiro, baby, you have to stop.” Keith managed to shakily say. Shiro pulled away reluctantly, giving one last lick before standing up. He pulled Keith in for a sloppy kiss.

 

“I need to have you. Now.” Shiro rumbled, pulling Keith along. They fell onto the bed, frantically moving to get Shiro’s clothes off. When Keith went to do the same with the panties, Shiro slapped his hands away.

 

“Keep them on.” Shiro growled into his ear before moving down to suck on his neck. He couldn’t keep his hands away from the soft lace, continually caressing Keith’s ass while he bit at his chest. Keith gently rubbed at Shiro’s back, moaning at his bites and kisses.  

 

“For the love of God, please hurry up.” Keith begged pulling Shiro’s head back up to his level. Shiro gave a fierce nod, going for the lube and condoms on their bedside table, quickly slicking his fingers. He hastily made his way down Keith’s body, giving a few last nips to his thighs before reaching down to his ass.

 

He pushed the shorts to the side to reveal his pretty pink hole, easing in his first finger. Keith bucked against his hand with a high-pitched whimper, pleading for him to keep going . He was more than happy to oblige, quickly adding more fingers to twist them in and out.

 

Keith writhed against him, crying out when Shiro pressed up against him at the perfect angle. “Shiro, fuck, please.” Keith whimpered.

 

“Please what?” Shiro asked with a grin, purposely battering his prostate with his fingers.

 

“Please fuck me.” Keith mewled. Shiro hurried with the condom, pressing against his entrance.

 

He pushed inside, marveling at the sight of Keith’s hole swallowing him up. Keith looked stunning as he squirmed against his cock. His dark hair was mussed against the pillow, his mouth popping open as he cried for more, precome staining the front of the shorts. Shiro groaned as he quickened his pace, moving down to leave hurried bites across Keith’s chest.

 

Keith pulled him back up for a rough kiss, biting at his lower lip. To feel the usually composed Shiro lose all control was amazing. His erratic thrusts coupled with the feeling of the lace grinding against his cock was too much to bear. They sloppily licked into each other's mouths until Shiro pulled away to whisper filthy little endearments in his ear. He had to let Keith know how tight he felt around him, how good he looked with scarlett shining against his skin, and how all of it was for Shiro’s eyes only, how all of him was meant for Shiro’s hands, his teeth, and his tongue.

 

Keith’s orgasm blind-sided him. Letting out a high-pitched whimper he stained the panties with his come. Shiro moaned watching the wanton display, giving a few more rough thrusts before spilling inside of him.

 

Shiro stayed in him for a bit longer than usual, kissing over all of the little bite marks he left throughout the night before pulling out with a satisfied sigh.

 

Keith finally pulled off the underwear, examining the obvious come stain. “It’s going to be hard to sneak these down to the laundry. Maybe I should just throw them away.”

 

“I’ll wash them myself before we throw them away.” Shiro said plucking the underwear from Keith’s hand. He set them on the nightstand, moving back to pull Keith closer. “Thank you for the best graduation present ever.”

 

“Glad you liked it.” Keith said kissing his nose.

 

***************

 

Teaching classes on basics of piloting a T-84 Lunar Ship, turned out to be easier than his squad leader days. He couldn't decide if that was because he knew the mechanics of such a basic ship like the back of his hand or the lack of a crippling infatuation on one of his students. Either way, his new position had been treating him well enough for the past five months, and he would miss the hell out of it when he finally had to leave for Kerberos in three weeks.

 

The mission was only for four months, but he had gotten so damn comfortable in his new life, he was loathe to have any interruptions to it. The thought of spending 120 nights away from Keith also didn't bode well with either of them. Sadly enough, time apart was something they would both have to get used too considering their job descriptions. He had hoped by now, however, that a ring on Keith’s finger would lessen the blow of separation.

 

They had talked about the future before, more and more so since their move, developing a realistic plan. Considering how much Keith had been excelling in his third-year he was a shoe in for an actual fighter-pilot position. He continuously destroyed records on the simulators and effortlessly handled any monitored real ship missions the Garrison threw at him. They would probably negotiate a renewal in their housing plan, staying in with the Garrison unless something better came their way. Most importantly they had agreed that they would be staying together. Would it be that crazy to make that commitment more official?

 

Shiro sighed pushing away from the exams he had been grading. Thinking about proposing always gave him a headache. He still had that ring from months ago, hidden in the lumpy pillow that Keith hated with a passion. Shiro had already butchered three attempts to pop the question that month alone and he was quickly running out of time if he wanted to do it before he left.

 

He needed a plan, a flawless mixture of timing and romance. He heard that there was going to be another meteor-shower next week. Maybe he could take him back to that little house in the plains to watch it and propose on the roof. They hadn’t been there since the move, so he could make some excuse about missing the place without being suspicious. Then again, he’s had carefully laid out plans like this before, always backing at the last second. Shiro let out a groan holding his head in his hands.

 

Why did this make him such a coward?

 

That night, Shiro held onto Keith a little tighter than usual, promising himself that he was going to ask as soon as possible, so he could have this for the rest of his life. He woke up the next day staring at the ceiling. He had a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, knowing that everyday he didn’t ask was a wasted opportunity. He needed to get his head out of his ass and just ask the question.

 

“You awake?” Keith sleepily murmured next to him, slowly sitting up.

 

“Barely.” Shiro turned over to face him, “Rather not be to be honest.”

 

“I’m going to miss you being a baby about waking up.” Keith said with a huff, getting up from the bed. He made his way to his side of the dresser, looking for something to throw on for the weekend.

 

“I’m going to call you every chance I get. You’ll probably be sick of me before you even have a chance to miss me.” Shiro sat up, watching Keith struggle to find anything.

 

“I doubt calling your boyfriend is going to trump the whole wife, sister, and daughter situation of the other two. You're getting last communicator priority.” Keith said giving up on the dresser. He moved down to the floor rummaging through a pile of semi-clean clothes “And we’re so co-dependent at this point I miss you when you're in the bathroom, so try again.”

 

“You’re probably right about the calls.” Shiro murmured while reaching under his pillow to feel for the little black box. He could do it now. He could just let go of all of his reservations and ask. He held it in his hand for a moment before looking back at Keith. His back was still turned as he crouched on the floor, muttering something about actually using a laundry basket for once.

 

“I give up. I’m borrowing something from you.” Keith announced. He rummaged through Shiro’s top dresser drawer still mumbling under his breathe. He looked so damned relaxed, so at home in their cramped little bedroom getting ready to wear one of Shiro’s too big shirts and crawl back into bed. He knows he wants this for the rest of his life, knows he could have it if he can just ask. He gets up and quietly makes his way over to kneel behind Keith, clutching the box.

 

The blood is pounding in his ears, his hands shaking. He could still get up, walk back to bed, save the ring for after Kerberos or later when they actually have things figured out. It could still be too soon, two years together wasn’t that long in the grand scheme of things. They were both so young and he didn’t know what he would do if Keith said no. But then it’s too late to change his mind. Keith is already turning around with a triumphant smile and the ratty t-shirt from Shiro’s first days in the Garrison. Shiro can see the snarky comment he was going to make about it’s condition lodge in his throat as he stares down to his kneeling form.

 

There’s no going back now.

 

“They might not give the same precedence for a boyfriend, but a fiancee could probably change the situation.” Shiro said with a shaky smile, opening the ring box to reveal the simple band. Keith stops, staring down at him.

 

Shiro takes a deep breathe and continues,

 

“Keith, the past three years I’ve known you have been the best in my life. You are everything I never thought to want. You’re rash, loyal, beautiful, and have a sense of humor only I can get. And I love all of it.” He watched in awe as Keith sank down to the floor in front of him but can’t help himself from continuing.

 

“I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. And I know this is sudden, I know it isn’t perfect with me leaving. I know we’re young, but I want to be with you for as long as I can. As long as you’ll let me. I want you to have something so you can always know that, even when I’m gone. So…” Shiro pulls the ring from the box, and gently takes Keith’s shaking hand.

 

“Will you marry me?” he whispers. The air around them seems so fragile, even the quietness of his words seems like they could shatter everything.

 

Keith stares at the ring that is poised right before his waiting finger. “You can’t take this back Takashi.” he murmurs. He looks up and for the first time Shiro notices how wet his eyes are. “You have to be sure. I can’t...I don’t think I could handle you regretting this.” He says it so quietly Shiro almost doesn’t hear him.

 

Shiro nods before letting go of Keith’s hand and carefully puts the ring back in it’s box. He softly tilts Keith’s face up examining the tears that are now freely falling from his face. He leans in and lightly kisses them away, holding him there until he stops shaking. Finally, he pulls back to look at him.

 

“I could never regret this.” Shiro said with a smile. He went back for the ring. “So,” he said with a grin “Will you marry me?”

 

“Ya. Ya, I’ll marry you.” Keith gave a wet laugh, as Shiro put the ring on his finger. He suddenly went to hug him, the momentum landing them on the floor.

 

Shiro knew sitting there, laughing and crying with his fiancee in his arms in nothing but their underwear, that today would go down as one of the best days of his life.

 

**************

 

This mission was going to be worth it. It was only four months away with a huge reward. Shiro would go down in history as the first pilot to go to Kerberos, assist in major scientific finds that could change the future of space exploration, and come back with the funds necessary to continue the life he wanted with Keith. Of course it was all going to be worth it, but he couldn’t help but cling harder to Keith everytime he told himself he would pull away. He knew he was running out of time and would have to head over to the landing pad soon.  

 

“You better be safe out there.” Keith said glaring up from their hug.

 

“I’ll double up on safety gear while collecting ice.” he chuckled.

 

“You know what I mean. You got shit to do when you come back.” Keith playfully slapped him on the cheek. Shiro swore he could feel the outline of the ring underneath his glove.

 

“Looking forward to all my shit too.” Shiro brushed the hair out of Keith’s eyes. He was going to need a haircut soon. He felt a bit rueful knowing that he wasn’t going to be the one to fix it.  

 

“So when do I hear from you next?”

 

“Already talked it over with the Holts. After evening reports I have full access to the communicator on Wednesdays. So expect a massive amount of gross love messages at around 11 tomorrow night.” Shiro said kissing his forehead. He finally managed to pry himself away, slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder.

 

“Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone.”

 

Keith rolled his eyes. “Yes Mom, I promise I won’t burn the Garrison down while you're gone.”

 

“You have to pinky-swear.” Shiro said holding out his pinky.

 

Keith gave an exasperated sigh but held out his pinky anyway. “I promise.”

 

Shiro beamed at him. He felt the phone in his back pocket vibrate, knowing it was a message to hurry up and go. He leaned down and gave Keith a light kiss.

 

“I love you.” he murmured against his mouth.

 

“I love you too. Now go before they kick you off the mission for being late.” Keith said half-heartedly pushing him away. Shiro nodded, readjusting his bag before finally walking away. He was going to do this, not just for himself, but for them. Shiro smiled to himself after greeting the Holts. Four months was nothing considering how he had the rest of his life to look forward too.  

 

************

 

Three months later the Kerberos mission went off the grid. Keith found out walking past the common area, briefly glimpsing the news station. He stopped in his tracks as he saw flashing lights and Shiro’s name. He was already shoving through the small group of people gathered in front of the television. His heart in his throat as he picked up keywords, “missing communications”, “pilot error”, “presumed dead”.  It was impossible, he had just talked to him two nights ago. Before long he was already running out of the room, sprinting toward the communications hub.

 

“What happened to Kerberos?” He spit out the second he made contact with an officer. The older woman stared at him for a moment before shaking her head.

 

“We lost all communications. There is no trace of their ship anywhere near our satellite range. That’s all I know. If you want to know more ask the Sergeant who was heading the reports.” She pointed toward his office. Keith didn’t look back as he barged into the little room, obviously surprising the man at his desk.

 

“What happened to Shiro?” he demanded.

 

The Sergeant looked at him before sighing and gesturing for him to take a seat. Keith reluctantly sat down, taking a moment to catch his breathe.

 

“Their ship went off the grid Kogane. Completely. The only explanation is a crash that would obliterate any of our tracking and communication tools. Their is no way for a pilot to shut off the tracking devices by themselves.”

 

“What if something is wrong with our systems?” Keith asked, desperation edging in his voice.

 

The Sergeant shook his head, “The chances of the best communication systems in the world being off are slim to none, Kogane.”

 

“Shiro was the best pilot we had! It’s not possible for him to just commit some kind of ‘pilot error’ that would get them all killed!” Keith yelled standing back up. “Whatever happened wasn’t his fault!”

 

The Sergeant sighed before getting up from his own chair. There was pity in his voice as he walked around his desk. “Kogane, I know the two of you were… close.” He said putting a hand on his shoulder. “Nothing is finalised yet, and if this is some kind of heinous mistake you’ll be the first to know about it.” Keith stared dumbly at the floor before nodding.

 

“Go get some sleep. If anything changes, you’ll know.”

 

Four weeks later, Takashi Shiro, Matt Holt, and Sam Holt were pronounced dead.

 

**************

 

Keith huffed, hunching in his chair as he waited for his meeting with the head of the fighter department. It was the third time he had gotten caught that month trying to find more information on Shiro’s file. Mysteriously enough, it had become listed classified three days after his disappearance. He was getting sloppy, considering how two months ago he was able to get in and out without anyone noticing.

 

He put his head between his knees as he waited, sighing into the space. He knew from what he saw whatever happened wasn’t because of “pilot error.” He had already found around eight different mentions of “unexplained interference” and “suspected foul play.” He had really fucked up this time, knowing that this wasn’t going to slide again, especially when he was being forced to meet with the head of the department.

 

“Keith Kogane.” He heard a voice sternly say. He looked up to see the department head glowering over him. “My office, now.” he said, storming into the adjacent room. Keith reluctantly followed him, resuming his prior position in the chair across from his desk. He heard the man sit down, but kept looking at the floor.

 

“Kogane, I’m giving you one shot. You either drop this or we drop you.” He growled.

 

“Have someone to replace me?” Keith asked looking up with a frown.

 

“Everyone is replaceable Kogane. Top pilot or not, we are not going to stand for this level of delinquency. You are still a cadet and the fact that you have the audacity to continually look through classified information does not bode well with your future here.” He said.

 

“Well maybe you could explain to me why Takashi Shiro’s file is classified, considering how his death was a shut case of ‘pilot error.’” Keith snarled standing up.

 

“Maybe you could tell me why it only took a month before you stopped looking. Why no one has been sent to Kerberos since! Maybe if I could believe you weren’t lying about what happened to the best pilot this place has had in a decade. I wouldn’t be looking through your shoddily hidden files!” Keith was yelling now, not even trying to mask his fury.

 

The head got up, slamming his hands against his desk. “You get to decide now Kogane. You either walk out of here for good or you never mention Kerberos again. Your choice.”

 

“Good luck with my replacement.” Keith snapped, storming out.

 

Keith was halfway running to his room, ignoring his confused roommate as he haphazardly packed his things. He stopped as he got to his bottom drawer, staring at Shiro’s clothes. He had lost their apartment months ago, soon after they pronounced Shiro dead. Keith couldn’t stop himself from saving all of the things he could that belonged to him. He was shoved them in his bag along with everything else. He was out of the door in minutes, making his way to his hover-craft in a half jog.

 

He only had one place to go, quickly setting up the navigation system for the small desert house.

He was going to find out what happened, even if it killed him. If that meant leaving the Garrison so be it, but he refused to just let this go for a job, he refused to let Shiro go for anything.

 

He didn’t remember the ride over, his head to filled with half-hearted plans for finding information. By the time he got there it was already late into the night.  The house was just as desolate as he remembered, every surface covered in a thin layer of dust. Thankfully enough there was a bed and judging by the wave of exhaustion that hit him, that was all he needed right now. He throw his bag on the floor, dusting off the mattress in quick strokes. He sat down, content with the leftover dirt. He looked around the small space, suddenly overcome with everything that had happened.

 

He was so angry at everything that had happened in the last few months. Hell, he was almost angry at Shiro for...for being gone. Then he was angry at himself, knowing that Shiro would have killed him if he knew what he had just done. Angry at himself for not being strong enough to get past this, suddenly doubting if there was even anything to find about Kerberos. Exhaustion finally won over and Keith plopped down on his back, looking at the ceiling.

 

It was all too much.  He would give anything, anything at all to have Shiro back home safe. He couldn’t stop the tears from coming. He turned to the wall, and cried.

 

******************************** 

Keith had been on the roof when he saw the crash landing.

 

It was more desperate hope than anything as he raced for his hover-craft. He had no leads on Shiro’s disappearance since he left the Garrison. He theorized that the blue lion had to have something to do with the bigger picture, but had no solid evidence to connect to anything related to Shiro, but an unprecedented crash? That was suspicious enough to have him flying toward it.

 

It was easy enough to track, as simple as following the brightest light on the deserted plains. The Garrison had beat him there of course, but hadn't had enough time to place guards at all of the entrances to their makeshift research camp. He was in within a matter of minutes, making quick work of the untrained scientists hovering over some body. He made his way over to examine whoever they were looking at. It was a big man, dressed in rags. His face was turned to the side and Keith could barely see the length of a scar stretching across his face.

 

He almost looked like Shiro, Keith thought as he reached to turn his face around for a better look.

 

He...was Shiro.

 

“Shiro?” Keith whispered feeling his hands shake. He couldn’t believe it. Shiro, was right there in front of him. Keith fumbled for his knife, cutting away at his restraints to pull him off of the table. He looked so limp, so much older. A million questions started ringing out in Keith’s head. What had happened to him? Why wasn’t he on his way to a hospital? What were they going to do to him?

 

There was no time for questions, he had to get him out of there. Suddenly the door opened and Keith looked up with a start, only to relax when he saw three unarmed kids.

 

“No, no, no you don’t. I’m saving Shiro.” One of them said coming over to help him with the other arm. He introduced himself as Lance, something about them being in the same class and fighter-pilots or whatever. Keith didn’t really care, he just needed to get Shiro somewhere safe. The three followed him to his hover-craft obviously having no where else to go.

 

He was grateful they were there in the end, it would have been near impossible to escape those cars while keeping Shiro’s slack body from falling off.

 

By the time they all arrived back at the house, the sky was pitch black. He sent the strange trio outside to the small storage shed with some blankets and pillows making some half-hearted excuse that he didn't want Shiro to be overwhelmed when he woke up. It was warm enough this time of year, the three would be fine outside. Then he went into his drawers, knocking the dust that had collected on Shiro’s old clothes before setting them out on the center table.

 

Keith stood vigil by Shiro’s bedside, carefully examining his face. He looked so worn down and that scar. The wound that caused it must have been serious. Keith lightly traced his finger along its raised edge, holding back tears. He wanted to kill whoever did this to him, or at the very least punch something. His arm was gone for Christ's sake, replaced with some alien prosthetic. Keith sighed and rested his head on the side of the bed, still looking at Shiro’s face. He just wanted Shiro to open his eyes. He wanted to hear his voice again. He wanted to hold him. He needed to know that he was actually there. Before long, he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and fell into a fitful sleep.

 

He didn’t know how long he slept for, but when he woke up there were fingers carding through his hair. He glanced up, feeling his breath catch in his throat as he locked eyes with a conscious Shiro.

 

“Are you actually here?” Shiro asked in awe, continuing his caress. “Please don’t be a dream.”

 

Keith grasped the hand in his hair, bringing it down between them. “I’m here.” He whispered, rubbing his thumb against Shiro’s palm. “I’m here.” Shiro gave him a weak smile and pulled him up from the floor into the cramped bed.

 

Shiro pressed him hard against his chest, making a sharp sniffling noise before burying his face in his hair with a series of harsh sobs. Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro's trembling form, using all of his willpower not to cry with him. God knows what had been done to him in the past year, Keith needed to be the strong one.

 

“You’re safe now.” He whispered into Shiro's chest. “I’m here, I’m not going anywhere.” He could feel Shiro slowly nod above him, his hiccups slowing down until he fell back into slumber. Keith soon followed suit, exhaustion and relief taking over as sleep claimed him.

 

When he woke up again Shiro was gone, along with the clothes he had set out earlier. Keith found him quick enough looking out into the desert as the sun began to rise. He was briefly overwhelmed by the sight of Shiro in his old clothes, standing there like some kind of vivid hallucination. Finally he stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.

 

“It’s good to have you back.” Keith said giving him a squeeze.

 

Shiro nodded looking over to smile at him. “It’s good to be back.”

 

“So what happened out there? Where were you?” Keith asked keeping his hand on his shoulder. Shiro sighed looking back out into the desert.

 

“I wish I could tell you.” he started, “My head’s still pretty scrambled. I was on an alien ship, somehow I escaped. It’s all a blur. How did you know to come save me when I crashed?” Shiro asked turning toward him. Keith didn’t really have an answer, besides explaining everything he had found while he was gone.

 

“You should come see this.” He said, walking toward the house. Keith didn’t really have an answer, besides explaining everything he had found while he was gone. Shiro nodded slowly following behind him.

 

“Wait.” Shiro said, grabbing Keith’s arm.  He stepped closer, drastically increasing their proximity. “I need to ask you something now, before I lose my nerve.” he said

 

“Do you still have it? The ring?” Shiro asked, grabbing his hand. He didn't wait for an answer, automatically going for his finger. Keith stopped breathing as Shiro felt the ring through his glove, witnessing the obvious look of relief in his eyes.

 

“We’re going to have to talk.” Shiro murmured hanging on to Keith’s hand.

 

“I know.” Keith said with a nod. There was so much to talk about. Shiro's life for the past year, Keith's expulsion from the Garrison, the evidence he had found about the blue lion. He could hear the other three begin talking in the distance. They would be here soon, asking some very necessary questions. He didn’t have much time. He reached up, pulling Shiro’s face down for a kiss. It was a mess, just like their first one. They were too desperate, craving each other after being away for so long. “No matter what has happened, I still love you.” He murmured against his mouth.

 

“Me too. God Keith, me too.” Shiro said kissing him in between words. They pulled away at the sound of Lance calling Keith’s name from the house.

 

“Now what?” Shiro asked, reluctantly letting go.

 

“Now, we have a blue lion to find.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I know this was super self-indulgent, so if you stomached it all the way through congrats! If you guys liked it hit me up at http://blushweddingowns.tumblr.com/ if you have any ideas for another one or requests.


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